Stricken
by Inuyasha Sketchit
Summary: While traveling to Nimbasa City, a regular lunch break turns critical when Cilan is bitten by a Venipede. Ash volunteers to get antivenin, leaving Iris with Cilan. Will they be able to reveal their true feelings before it is too late? WishfulShipping
1. Chapter 1

Finally... After about two weeks of this site being stupid, I am able to submit this. This is the first thing I have written in a while. After seeing so many WishfulShipping stories, I really wanted to make one of my own.

Also, I would appreciate it from you guys that you would stop asking me when I'm going to update **SonPkmn Crossover: Into the Parallel Universe.** The truth is I don't know when, if ever, I'm going to update it. So please, no more asking in reviews or sending me PMs. Thank you.

* * *

Ash and his friends were continuing their travels through Unova and taking a break on their journey to Nimbasa City. They had been walking for four hours straight and had grown tired. Also, Ash's stomach started to complain that it was empty.

They found a nice, shady area to stop and take a lunch break at. The Pokémon Connoisseur, Cilan, had set up the table and his cooking equipment. Meanwhile, Iris picked some fruit from the trees nearby. Ash, however, sat at the table with his head down.

Cilan put on his apron and grabbed some potatoes from his backpack as well as a peeler.

"I'm thinking of making my potato pancakes for lunch today. Does that sound like a good idea, Pansage?"

"Pan Pansage!" agreed his grass monkey Pokémon.

Usually, Cilan always closed his backpack every time he retrieved an item from it. It was because the smell of the food he kept inside it would attract wild Pokémon. But for some reason, he had forgotten to do so this day.

"So hungry…" Ash moaned.

Iris came to the table and placed a basket filled with the fruit she had just picked in the center of it. Ash shot his head up and smiled before attempting to grab a piece of fruit from the basket. He was met with a slap on the hand from the girl who had picked them.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?" he asked.

"You have some nerve," she replied. "You're just sitting here like a bump on a log while we are working and you just decided to help yourself to the food."

Suddenly, her little dragon Pokémon, Axew, popped out of Iris' hair to assist her in scolding Ash.

"Ax Axew!" he said.

"I'd love to help out… Really… But I'm just so hungry."

"Pika-pi…" said Ash's mouse Pokémon, Pikachu, sounding a little embarrassed of his Trainer.

"You're such a kid…" Iris sighed.

"It will be a while before the potato pancakes are finished." Cilan added in while peeling the potatoes. "Maybe you guys should help yourself to the fruit in the meantime. But don't fill up on them."

"Good idea, thanks Cilan!" said the younger boy.

Unbeknownst to Cilan, a wild Venipede had caught the smell of the food items he had kept in his backpack. Curious, the centipede Pokémon had crawled inside of it. It was a considerably small Venipede and was able to fit it its body in the small space without being seen.

"Do you need any help peeling those?" Iris asked the Connoisseur.

"Nope, that's okay Iris. Pansage is helping me with that. But thank you for asking," he said as he smiled back to her.

"Well someone has to do it. Some people around here are just too selfish to care about anyone else but themselves." The girl then turned and looked at the boy that sat across the table.

"Hey, I am not selfish!" he said with his mouth full of apple.

"Now, now you two. Let's not start arguing," said the older Trainer.

Soon Cilan and Pansage finished peeling the potatoes in to slivers and he tossed them into a frying pan that was coated in olive oil.

"Could you mince the garlic, Pansage?"

The grass monkey nodded and proceeded to chop up a few cloves of garlic with the end of his tail. He then handed the plate to his Trainer.

"Thanks. You've done a great job as usual."

His Pokémon smiled and he dumped the minced garlic into the frying pan with the potato peels.

"Hmm… Smells delicious already…" Ash commented.

"Thank you, Ash. But still… it's missing something. A pinch of pepper will help intrigue the taste buds even more."

"Sage," said Pansage.

Cilan knelt down to his backpack and stuck his arm inside. "Now… what did I do with my pepper grinder…?"

The Connoisseur's hand found its way on top of something smooth inside his backpack. Assuming it was the pepper grinder, he grabbed on to it. But what he actually felt was the shell of the Venipede that crawled inside earlier. The centipede Pokémon was startled by this, thinking it was being attacked, and reacted defensively. It quickly turned and sunk its fangs deep into Cilan's hand.

"Yaoowch!" he screamed and quickly pulled his hand from the backpack. The Venipede was pulled out as well; its fangs still ensnared in Cilan's hand.

Pansage, Ash, and Iris all turned when they heard Cilan scream. They then saw him attempting to pry a Venipede from his hand.

"Cilan!" both Ash and Iris yelled as they rose from their seats.

"Pan!" said the grass monkey Pokémon.

Pansage was the first to try and help get the Venipede off his Trainer's hand. The two younger Trainers came shortly afterward. All the while, Cilan was cursing while trying to get the centipede off of him; something that both Ash and Iris believed that he was incapable of doing. He was always such a proper gentleman after all.

"Here, Cilan! Let me help you," Ash said as he grabbed the Venipede.

"Ouch!" Cilan cried out.

"You guys, stop!" Iris interrupted. "That's not going to work. Upsetting it is only making it worse! Everybody just calm down."

"Axew axe!" agreed Axew.

Iris walked up slowly to the Venipede and began to speak to it in a soft voice.

"Please don't be afraid," she said gently. "We don't want to hurt you. Could you please let go of my friend?"

The Venipede turned its eyes towards Iris. She then slowly held her hand up in order to pet it. Both Cilan and Ash winced fearing it would turn and bite her too. But instead, it let her pet it. She continued to talk softly to it in order to calm it down. It eventually worked and it let go of Cilan's hand. The Connoisseur responded by pulling his and away quickly. Ash then chucked the Venipede away and the scared Pokémon ran off.

"Sorry Venipede," Iris called out. "Honestly, did you have to throw it?"

"Hey I don't want it anywhere near us."

They turned their attention to Cilan who let out a moan of pain.

"Are you okay, Cilan?" Iris asked as she saw him cradling his injured hand.

"Sage?" Pansage asked as well.

Cilan slurred something which sort of sounded like "yes" and "no" put together. He started to cringe as he felt the pain in his hand start to intensify.

"Where did that Venipede come from?" Ash asked.

"It was in my backpack…" the Connoisseur said. "I left it open and it must have got in when I wasn't looking… How could I be so foolish?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Iris said gently. "It's an honest mistake. Now, let me see your hand."

The Connoisseur pulled his injured left hand out of the grip of his right hand and showed it to the dragon tamer. Two puncture wounds sat on top but they weren't bleeding too badly, most likely because of Venipede's saliva which acts as a coagulant. But it was visibly starting to swell in reaction to the poison the Pokémon injected, much to Iris' dismay.

"Oh dear… Does anything else hurt?"

"Well… I don't mean to alarm you but… the pain is starting to go up my arm…"

"Sage…" Pansage said with worry.

"What a time to be without an antivenin." Iris said.

"Don't you have some kind of herb you can give him?" Ash asked.

"You really know nothing about medicine, do you? This isn't something a simple herb can fix. He needs antivenin that was created from the venom of a Venipede. It's the only way he can be cured. Such a kid..."

"Okay, sorry for asking… It's just that the Venipede was so small."

"Young Venipede can be the deadliest. They don't have as much control to how much venom they release unlike the adults…"

Suddenly Cilan felt light-headed and found himself struggling to keep his balance. His body swayed from side to side slightly before he leaned heavily to the right and was caught by Ash.

"Steady there…" said Ash.

Iris helped pull Cilan back on both his feet, taking his full weight off of Ash.

"Come, you should sit down," she said to him.

The two younger Trainers helped the older Trainer to a nearby tree so that he could sit in the shade. The Connoisseur rested his back against the tree trunk and sighed. He felt his Pokémon at is side when he touched his leg.

"Pansage…" the grass monkey said worryingly.

"Oh… It seems I'm feeling a bit feverish already," he said in a chuckle while putting his hand to his forehead. He then turned to his friends and cracked a small smile in an attempt to make light of the situation. "This will surely ruin our lunch break."

As the eldest one there, Cilan had to stay strong so that the younger ones wouldn't panic even if he was the one in trouble. It was something he had already been used to with his younger triplet brothers. However, his humor did little to comfort the younger Trainers.

"Seems the only choice we have is for one of us to run to the nearest Pokémon Center and pick up a bottle of antivenin." Iris said to Ash.

"Yeah… But where is the nearest one?"

"Cilan, is the map in your backpack?" Iris asked.

"It should be."

Iris turned Cilan's backpack upside down and shook out the contents; just incase there was something else hiding in it. The map was the last item to fall out. She brought it over to the boys and began searching for a Pokémon Center.

"Oh… please let there be one near… Hey! There is one a couple miles from here."

"Great," Ash said. "I'll get ready then."

"Wha… you're going?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well you're not that all that coordinated. What if you get lost? Of course with you, it's not a matter of 'if'."

"Sheesh, have a little faith in me Iris. Besides, someone who knows about medical things should stay behind and watch after Cilan. That would be you, right?"

"You have a point there. I would hate to think what would happen to Cilan if you were left in charge…"

"Gee… thanks…" he said sarcastically.

Ash grabbed his hat and backpack in preparation. Iris handed him the map.

"Please hurry back," she told him. "Just follow the map exactly and don't get sidetracked."

"Stop worrying. I won't. Come on, Pikachu."

"Pika, pika!" said Pikachu.

Iris watched as the boy and his mouse headed down the trail. Axew popped out of her hair once more and watched as well.

"I sure hope we can count on him."

"Axew…"

Meanwhile, Cilan stared at his swollen hand which almost seemed to be pulsating. He wouldn't show it in front of his companions, but he was in pure agony. The Connoisseur was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Iris in front of him until she grabbed his injured hand.

"I'm just going to clean your wound," she said. She then opened a bottle of peroxide and started to swab the afflicted area with a cotton ball. "How are you feeling?"

"Um… just a little dizzy…" But that was just an understatement. He felt just plain awful. The Connoisseur was even starting to feel pain in his neck and chest. But he couldn't tell Iris for fear that she would be too worried.

Iris cleaned up the wound but did not bandage it. That way any excess poison could drain out.

"Would you like some water?" she asked him.

"Yes, thank you," he replied with a smile.

The young girl smiled back at him and left to retrieve some water from the nearby stream. Once she was gone, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Pan… sage…" his Pokémon said to him. Cilan may have been able to keep it from his friends but Pansage knew he was feeling really bad inside.

"I'll be all right, Pansage," he tried to assure his Pokémon. "I'm sure Ash will be back with the antivenin real soon." Then he thought, "I hope…"

The Connoisseur soon started to experience another symptom of the poison; cold and sweaty palms. He turned his hands up and examined them. That's when he noticed that they were shaking involuntarily. He tried to get them to hold still but he had no control over it.

Soon Iris returned with a canteen full of water.

"Here you go…"

"Thank you."

Cilan held on to the canteen with his good hand and attempted to take a drink from it. But his hand was shaking so profusely that the simple task was made nearly impossible. He nearly dropped it but managed to catch it in between his knees.

"How clumsy of me…" he chuckled. But Iris did not think it was funny.

"You're not clumsy," she said, taking the canteen from his lap. "Your body is reacting to the poison. Here, let me help you…"

Iris held the canteen to Cilan's lips and he was able to take a sip from it. It was then that the dragon tamer noticed that there was sweat dripping from the young man's forehead. Once the Connoisseur finished drinking, Iris started to remove the sweat with a handkerchief.

"You're dripping in sweat…"

"Strange… considering I don't feel hot at all…"

"These clothes aren't doing you any good," she said while grabbing on to his vest. "You should let me take them off."

"Huh…?" he said while raising an eyebrow to the young girl.

"The vest and the bowtie. I think you'll feel better without them constricting you."

"Oh! Uh, yeah. Good idea."

Iris assisted Cilan in removing his black vest, exposing the white collar shirt he wore underneath it. She then started to untie the green bowtie on his neck.

"Honestly… I don't know how you can walk around in this getup. This is not the proper attire for traveling," she said after she removed the bowtie.

"Pokémon Connoisseurs must always be dressed this way no matter where they are. We must look professional and proper at all times," he said going off on his expressions.

"Great… There you go with that annoying Connoisseur stuff again…"

"What do you mean 'annoying'?"

"Nothing, nothing…" she said just before finishing unbuttoning the collar on his shirt. "There… is that better?"

"Yeah… I guess so…"

The dragon tamer let out a sigh and went back to wiping the sweat from the Connoisseur's head and neck.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. You'll see that Ash is a bit of a n00b in this chapter. Also light, one-sided Wishful. In case you are wondering, I did base a part of this on an episode of InuYasha. Fans of the anime will know which one. Enjoy.

* * *

Ash was continuing his trip towards the Pokémon Center which was located two miles away from the campsite in order to pick up some antivenin for his friend, Cilan. He attempted to do what Iris told him and followed the map directly. Only it proved that it was a lot harder to stay on track.

"Let's see… I think we have to go this way now… Or was it that way…?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said.

"Man… I wish I had Tranquill with me. But I swapped her for Swadloon."

"Chu…"

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure we can figure this out."

Ash inspected the map once more and concluded that he should head southeast. The path he chose let him and Pikachu through a dense forest. Even so, the map showed that he was heading in the right direction.

"Alright. Looks like we're making progress. Hang in there, Cilan. We'll be there soon."

Pikachu's ears perked up after he heard some rustling in the trees. He looked up and could sense that there were eyes watching them.

"Pikapi, Pikachu," he warned Ash.

"It's all right, Pikachu. The Pokémon know we mean no harm. I'm sure they'll leave us alone."

"Pikachu…" he replied sounding unsure.

* * *

Back at camp, Cilan seemed to get worse with every passing minute as the Venipede poison traveled through his bloodstream. His hand had swelled up so much that he could not make a closed fist. It was also noticeably discolored.

The Connoisseur's whole body had become drenched in sweat. Despite that, he himself felt extremely cold and was shivering from head to toe.

"Pansage…" said his Pokémon in worry.

"Cilan, you don't look so good," Iris said with concern. She put her hand on his forehead and her eyes widened. His fever had gotten worse. "Stay right here. I'll be right back."

"S-s-sure…" he replied.

Iris retrieved blanket from her backpack and quickly threw it over the shaking young man. His dull green eyes turned to her as she tucked the blanket around his body.

"Th-thank you," he said to her while shuddering.

"Shhh… You shouldn't talk… You need to save your strength."

Cilan nodded and rested against the tree, continuing to convulse. Pansage rubbed his thigh in an attempt to comfort him.

"Sage…" said the concerned Pokémon.

_"Come on Ash…"_ Iris thought.

* * *

As Ash and Pikachu continued their trek through the forest, they noticed that the trees were starting to block out the sun the further they went in. Still, they pressed forward.

Pikachu, ever vigilant, looked all around to make sure they were safe. But now he noticed that a family of Joltik and Galvantula were watching them from the tree tops. This gave him a bad feeling given his past encounters with Galvantula.

"Pika…" he squeaked.

"Don't worry," Ash said. "We're gonna be fine. Just a little further now and we'll be out of here.

They took a few more steps when all of a sudden the map lost their location and went blank.

"What? Oh no!"

Ash tried smacking the side of it to see if it would start working again. But it did nothing.

"Okay… Let's not panic… Um… Maybe I just got a bad connection."

The boy held the map higher in the air and started to walk around trying to find a signal. But since he had his eyes fixated on it, he wasn't watching where he was going.

However, his efforts proved successful and the map went back online.

"Alright!" he yelled out.

In his excitement, he was unaware where he was walking and ended up stepping on something.

"FOON!" yelled an unhappy voice.

"Huh…? What was that?"

Ash looked down and lifted his foot. He was surprised to see that he stepped on something that appeared to be a Poké Ball.

"What's a Poké Ball doing there?"

All of a sudden, the Poké Ball moved. Underneath it was an unhappy face that hissed at Ash.

"Foongus!" it yelled.

"Wait a minute… Is that a Pokémon?"

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the unfamiliar Pokémon. It was a mushroom Pokémon known as Foongus.

"Oh, so you're a Foongus. Heh… Sorry about stepping on ya."

The angry Pokémon suddenly attacked and sprayed Stun Spore in the direction of Ash. He screamed and jumped out of the way to avoid the attack. Pikachu decided to help out and fired a Thunderbolt at Foongus, stunning it.

"Phew… Thanks Pikachu. You really…"

Ash was interrupted when the Foongus let out another cry. Then a hoard of Foongus came to defend their friend. After them, two, larger Pokémon that resembled Foongus came out of hiding.

"Ammoon!" they yelled angrily.

"Oh man, what are those?"

Once again, the boy pulled out his Pokédex. These Pokémon were known as Amoonguss and were the evolved form of Foongus. They also looked much more intimidating.

"Heh… Hey fellas… Let's not do anything hasty…"

The Amoonguss began to spit out Sludge Bombs from their mouths at both Ash and Pikachu. The two ran around in circles while screaming trying to avoid the attacks.

"Let's get the heck out of here!"

"Pika!"

Ash grabbed Pikachu and started to run in the direction that would lead out of the forest. All the while, Foongus and Amoonguss followed them firing Sludge Bombs and Poison Powder.

"We're not gonna be any help to Cilan if we get poisoned too!"

"Pikachu!"

* * *

As time went on, Cilan's condition went from bad to worse. The poison was now beginning to affect his breathing. Iris watched helplessly as the Connoisseur struggled to catch his breath.

Cilan coughed for a bit and then found that his vision was becoming clouded from the outside in. He let out a couple of deep coughs before falling over sideways and to the ground.

"Cilan!" Iris screamed.

"Pansage!" screamed his Pokémon.

Iris quickly turned the Connoisseur over on his back. She was shocked to see his face so pale.

"Cilan, can you here me?" she said while shaking him. "Don't pass out. You have to stay awake."

The Connoisseur slowly opened his eyes. The dragon tamer couldn't help but notice that his normally bright green eyes seemed to have lost their luster. His breaths were shallow and weak.

"Just hang on. I know of something that might help your breathing." Cilan responded by closing his eyes again. "Pansage, you have to keep him awake. If he goes to sleep he might not…" She stuttered as the horrible scenario came to mind. "Just keep him awake, okay?"

"Sage," he said while nodding.

"Come on, Axew," she said to her Pokémon.

"Axew!"

Iris stood up and wandered off into the meadow to look for a particular plant with Axew in toe. Meanwhile, Pansage gently tapped the side of his Trainer's face to keep him awake. Again, Cilan opened his eyes half-way and then turned his head to his Pokémon.

"Pan… sage…?" the Connoisseur said weakly.

"Pansage," the grass monkey Pokémon said reassuringly.

The Connoisseur stared at him for a moment and shut his eyes again. Pansage watched as his Trainer's chest rose and sunk as his lungs tried to take in as much air as they could. Not knowing what else to do, the grass monkey Pokémon plucked a leaf from his head.

The leaves on a Pansage's head can be used to treat exhaustion. He hoped that it might give the Connoisseur the strength to stay awake. Pansage tenderly placed one of his leaves on his Trainer's forehead and then stroked the side of his face.

"Sage…" he said while tears started to well up in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Iris searched through a field of flowers hoping to find the plant she was looking for. It was a blue flower with a dark green stem and leaves. The old matriarch in her village stated that it was a rare plant and very effective in helping breathing. She knew very well that it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

"Oh… where is it?" she said in frustration.

"Axew, axe!" she heard her dragon say.

Iris turned to see Axew holding the flower that she was looking for.

"Yes, that's it Axew! Good boy!"

"Axewww!" he said proudly.

"Let's get back to camp now."

The two hurried back to the camp site with the flower in hand, much to the relief of Pansage. Iris grabbed her tools, sat at the table, and began to grind the flower into mortar inside a small ceramic bowl. She finished it in about two minutes.

"Done," she announced.

Iris took the freshly made medicine over to where her ill companion laid. She gently shook him to get his attention.

"Cilan, I need you to take this."

Cilan responded by letting out a quiet moan. He turned his dull eyes up at her slowly, looking confused. Pansage aided by lifting his Trainer's head up.

"Can you open your mouth?"

The Connoisseur complied with her request and opened his mouth slightly. Iris then gently stuck the spoon inside. Cilan's face gained a disgusted expression as the medicine touched his tongue. It had a truly fowl taste.

"Sorry… I should have said it's a little bitter…"

Cilan disdainfully swallowed the medicine trying hard not to gag and then let out a cough.

"A warning would have been nice…" he mumbled.

Iris held a canteen full of water up to Cilan's lips so that he could wash down the medicine. After that, Pansage set his head down gently.

"It may take a little while for it to kick in," she warned. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"There is… one thing… But… it's an… unusual request…"

"What ever it is, I'll do it. Just tell me."

"Well… only if it is… all right with you… Iris… May I rest my head on your lap?" he said all in one breath to get it out.

Iris' cheeks quickly turned red in color.

"Huh…? M-my lap?"

"It's just… something my mother let me do… when I was feeling bad… as a child… It's comforting to me… But… I don't want to it… if it makes you uncomfortable…"

"N-no. It's all right. I'll let you do it. Anything to help you feel better."

Iris moved in closer and tenderly placed Cilan's head in her lap. Both Axew and Pansage help pull the blanket back over the Connoisseur's body.

Cilan closed his eyes and smiled a small smile.

"Is this better?" Iris asked gently.

"Yes… Thank you so much, Iris…"

The Connoisseur's breathing improved gradually much to the relief of the dragon tamer and his Pokémon. Still, he needed that antivenin immediately. Iris kept glancing up hoping that she would see Ash return.

_"Was it a good idea to send him…?"_ she thought. _"He is a kid after all. No… I'm sure in a time of crisis he will be able to come through…"_

Her attention snapped back to Cilan who appeared to be making himself comfortable on her lap. He turned his head to the left and snuggled his face on her thigh. The Connoisseur was also smiling. This caused Iris' whole face to turn red.

_"Okay…"_ she thought. _"This is getting kind of awkward now…"_

"What a pleasant scent…" Cilan mumbled out.

"Huh…?"

"You smell nice… Like flowers…"

"Um… Oh! Well I was just in a flower field. That's probably what you smell."

"Hmm… You always smell nice though…"

"I think you're a bit delirious… Axew, can you bring me a clean cloth from my backpack?"

"Axe!"

The tiny dragon wandered over to his Trainer's backpack and pulled out a white washcloth. He brought it back to her where she then poured some of the water from the canteen onto it. After ringing it out, she started to dab Cilan's forehead with it.

"So kind and caring…" the Connoisseur said quietly. "Such a wonderful flavor you're emitting right now… I feel so fortunate… It's almost worth being sick…"

"You don't mean that," Iris sighed pitifully. "You're just delirious from your fever. Just… try not to talk, okay? You're still very weak right now."

"You're warming my heart like the morning sun…"

Iris arched her eyebrows and pouted. She felt like stuffing the washcloth in Cilan's mouth at the moment. The dragon tamer never understood his "Connoisseur Gibberish" and always became frustrated when he would speak it. Even so, she was relieved that he was feeling better than before. And if it meant having to listen to him ramble on in a fever-induced stupor then so be it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Was hard to write... I tried not to make the part of Iris and Cilan confessing their feelings too cliche. Enjoy.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu were able to escape the forest and lose the Foongus and Amoonguss that followed them. And finally, the Pokémon Center was in their sights.

"Look… There it is…!" Ash said happily, yet tired.

"Pikachu…!"

The two stammered in to the Pokémon Center. Ash slouched forward and tried to catch his breath. Both Trainer and Pokémon used what remained of their strength to get to the front desk. Soon, the local Nurse Joy returned to the desk to assist them.

"Welcome. How may I… oh my… You two look exhausted."

"Well… we did run into some not-so-happy Pokémon before getting here," said Ash with a weak smile on his face.

"I think we should get you a bed so you can rest."

"I really don't have time to rest, Nurse Joy," Ash explained. "I was wondering if you had any Venipede antivenin. My friend was bitten by one and he's out in the woods waiting for me."

"Goodness… How long ago was he bitten?"

"I think… it was an hour and twenty minutes ago."

Nurse Joy's eyes widened as she knew that was a very long time to be without an antivenin.

"Audino!" she called out.

No sooner then it was said, Audino responded to Nurse Joy's call.

"Please retrieve a bottle of Venipede antivenin from the cabinet of antivenins. Please hurry."

"Audi!" it replied and left to the back room.

Nurse Joy then pulled out two small bottles of green liquid from underneath the desk.

"You two should drink these."

"What are they?" Ash asked.

"It's an herbal energy drink that was made from the leaves of a Pansage. This will help cure your exhaustion so you can get back to your friend faster."

Ash opened Pikachu's bottle and then opened his own. The two drank at the same time. It had a strange taste to it and Pikachu stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Kaa…"

"You're right," said Ash. "It does taste funky."

"I must inform you how urgent it is that you get this antivenin to your friend immediately. Venipede have very potent venom. If your friend doesn't get this antivenin soon he'll…"

The young nurse fumbled trying to get the words out. It was not an easy thing to say.

"What…?" the boy asked.

Nurse Joy frowned and turned her eyes away from the boy

"He will not make it…" she replied.

Ash's eyes widened as the realization came to him. Though he knew Cilan needed help, he didn't realize that he could actually die from being bitten by such a small Pokémon.

"Pikachu…" his mouse said with his ears lowered.

Soon, Audino returned with the antivenin as well as a syringe.

"Thank you, Audino," Nurse Joy said. "This antidote must be injected into the bloodstream, which is why I am giving you a syringe. The best place to inject it is in the underside of the wrist. I know this may be a little hard for you so I'm including written instructions on how to do it."

Nurse Joy put the antivenin, syringe, and instructions in a plastic zip-lock bag and handed it to Ash.

"When he starts to feel better, please bring him here at once so I can check up on him. Good luck."

Ash clutched the bag tightly knowing what he had to do. Nothing would stop him from getting back to his friend in time. He grabbed the visor of his hat so he could straighten it and then looked at the nurse once more.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. Let's go Pikachu."

"Pikachu!"

Without looking back, Ash turned around and ran to the door. Pikachu hopped off the counter and followed his Trainer. Nurse Joy watched them until they were no longer visible through the glass doors of the Pokémon Center.

"I hope he won't be too late."

* * *

Back at camp, Iris had noticed that Cilan had become quieter. It was a good thing for a couple of reasons. One being that he was saving his energy and the other being that he finally stopped with the Connoisseur drabble. But it was also somewhat concerning as he seemed to be getting weaker. To keep him responsive, the dragon tamer engaged in idle conversation with the Connoisseur.

Meanwhile, Pansage and Axew were taking a nap against Cilan's body and in Iris' hair, respectively.

"I can't wait until we all reach the Mistralton Cave," Iris told Cilan. "It's home to many Axew. I've also heard that there's a legendary Pokémon that lives there. Wouldn't it be great if we got to see it?"

"Hm…" Cilan responded, almost dosing off.

Iris gazed up at the clouds in the sky.

"I hope I get to see Zekrom again. You should have seen it back in Nuvema Town. It was incredible. All that electrical power… It really is something to…"

Iris paused when she noticed that something didn't seem right. She then looked down to her lap and saw that Cilan was unconscious.

"Cilan…? Cilan, are you awake? Answer me," she said as started to tap his shoulder.

But he did not respond. Iris then put her hands on each side of his head and began to rock it from side to side gently in hopes to get a reaction. Still, the Connoisseur did nothing.

"Cilan, wake up," she said with her voice sounding shaky.

Soon Pansage and Axew awoke after hearing Iris' desperate pleads.

"Don't do this. You have to wake up…"

Pansage also joined in trying to wake his Trainer by pushing into his torso.

"Pansage, pan… sage," he said.

All of their efforts failed and Cilan remained unresponsive. Iris stared down at the Connoisseur who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. His face was pale and his breathing came out faint. Within a few seconds he stopped breathing completely.

The dragon tamer's eyes grew large and shiny as reality began to sink in. She shook her head violently and placed her hands on Cilan's shoulders.

"Wake up, Cilan!" she yelled while shaking him. "WAKE UP! You have to! You can't… you can't… leave me here alone…"

Pansage looked to his Trainer's face. His bottom lip quivered at how lifeless Cilan had appeared. The grass monkey started to cry and then began to beat on his Trainer's chest with his hands in an attempt to revive him.

Iris' eyes became watery as she watched Pansage try so hard to wake Cilan. She looked down and closed her eyes tight in an attempt to force back her tears. The grass monkey continued his revival attempts until he was exhausted. He panted heavily and looked at the Connoisseur's face once more. Pansage sniffed back some tears before collapsing against Cilan's body and began hysterically crying.

"Cilan…" Iris whispered.

"Axew…" said Axew sadly.

At last, the dragon tamer could no longer hold back her tears. She started to sob as they streamed down her cheeks. One of her tears dripped off of her face and onto Cilan's right cheek.

Then… a miracle occurred. Cilan's eyelids began to quiver and he let out a very low grunt. Pansage heard the noise and looked at his Trainer's face. He let out a quiet gasp as he saw the Connoisseur begin to open his eyes. He heard Iris' sobs and turned his eyes up at her.

"Iris…?" he asked quietly.

The dragon tamer's eyes shot open. The huge weight on her heart had been lifted by a small spark of hope.

"C-C-Cilan…"

"Why are you crying…? Tears do not suit you…"

"Oh Cilan…" she said in a sob. "You came back… I-I thought you had left me…"

She broke down in sobs and started shivering uncontrollably in shock to how close she came to losing Cilan forever. The Connoisseur smiled tenderly and used what remained of his strength to raise his arm and lay his hand on the side of the girl's face. Iris' brown eyes widened in response and her cheeks turned red.

"I can never leave you…" he said gently. "I would think you… of all people would know that… After all… you were the one who… told me all about the spirits."

Iris gently placed her hand atop the one that was lovingly holding her face.

"I saw them Iris… Everything you had been trying… to tell me was true… I am so sorry for not believing you…"

"Hey, it's all right…"

"They told me something… They said that… I should be honest about my feelings… And I realize they are right… I cannot leave this mortal realm… without telling you how I really feel."

Iris' heart began to race. She stared at Cilan wide-eyed and he looked up at her once more.

"Ever since the day I laid eyes on you in Striaton City… I knew there was something special about you… You exhibit a mysterious, indescribable flavor to which I cannot even put into words… It was something that I was not use to… When I joined Ash on his journey, I was disappointed… when I didn't see you there. But I was so happy when you reappeared and agreed to travel with us…"

His green eyes turned to his dear Pokémon, Pansage, who was staring at him intently. Cilan smiled at him before speaking again.

"My feelings for you… intensified after what you did for Pansage that night… You were so amazing… That's when I knew… that you were the one for me… But… I was always so afraid to tell you how I felt… I was afraid of rejection and afraid to lose what we already had."

"Cilan…"

"You are such a beautiful young lady… Inside and out… You never cease to amaze me with your unique flavor that changes in taste… I feel privileged to wake up each morning near you… You're someone who I never want to be without…"

A multitude of feelings began to build up in the young dragon tamer's heart. Never did she imagine how the Connoisseur felt about her. But… was it really true or was the young man just delirious from his fever?

"Cilan… in all honesty I… I have had feelings for you too. I mean… at first I thought you were just another stiff in a suit. But I later saw that you have an adventurous side. And you are also unbelievably brave… Not to mention very kind… And um…" she paused as her cheeks turned red, "…cute."

Cilan chuckled lightly at how adorable the dragon tamer looked when she said that.

"A 'stiff in a suit', am I?"

"I…I said it was before…"

"I know… I know…" he chuckled. "It was just… funny… Still… the things you said afterwards… mean a lot to me… Thank you…"

"Truth is… I never said anything because… well… I thought I never stood a chance… You and I are from completely different worlds. And you have all those pretty older girls who are willing to do anything for you back in Striaton City."

"Those girls are merely fans… They could never compete with the beauty that is you… And I mean this from the bottom of my heart… No one has ever made me feel the way that you do…"

Both Trainers smiled at each other and Iris rubbed her face against Cilan's hand. Axew and Pansage looked at one another and also smiled, feeling happy for their Trainers that they found each other.

The Connoisseur's smile melted away when he noticed that he was beginning to lose feeling in his left arm. The numbness began to travel from his left to his right side. Once again, he found himself struggling to breathe.

"Cilan? Are you all right?"

"I… I'm afraid I… don't have much time left…"

"No… Just hold on for a bit longer. Please."

"You'll… take care of Pansage and Dwebble for me, won't you…?"

"I won't have to… Because you're going to pull through this."

Cilan's eyelids became heavy and started to droop until they were closed. Iris bit down on her lip in a state of panic.

"Stay awake. Please… Do it for Pansage and Dwebble and… me…"

"I'm sorry… I'm… just so… tired…"

"Don't leave me again, Cilan," she said in a shaky voice. "I won't forgive you…"

"Axew…" cried the dragon tamer's Pokémon.

"Sage… Pansage…" cried the Connoisseur's Pokémon.

A few tears managed to slip out of Cilan's closed eyes as he realized the end was near.

"Please…" he pleaded. "Tell my brothers… that I love them…"

Soon, Cilan could no longer feel Iris holding his hand. It was a feeling that made his heart sink; knowing that he could not feel the dragon tamer's soft skin against his anymore.

But then, he felt the warming touch of the young lady when she put her hand against his face.

"D...don't leave Cilan… Not after what you told me… Come on… Let's travel through Unova together, live our lives together, grow old together…"

"Iris…"

The dragon tamer leaned forward until she was able to tenderly place her lips on the Connoisseur's forehead. His green eyes fluttered open in response and his already-crimson cheeks turned even brighter. Iris pulled away a bit in order to speak.

"Stay with me... Please… And I promise there will be more where that came from."

The young man could feel his slowing heartbeat speed up a bit. The girl looked at him with a warm expression in her eyes. He knew he had to try and hold on. Not just for her but for everyone who he loved.

"Help give me the strength…" he said weakly.

Cilan puckered his lips slightly hoping that Iris would grant his request. She smiled humbly before pressing her lips softly against his. A feeling of nirvana overwhelmed the Connoisseur. It was everything that he had hoped for and dreamed of; like experiencing thousands of different tastes at once.

The dragon tamer was experiencing feelings of her own. This was the first time she had ever kissed a boy on the lips. She hoped she was doing it right less she look like a kid. Her heart felt as if it was bouncing around inside her chest. Cilan was a young man who girls fawned over yet she was the one lucky enough to have him to herself.

After about a minute as one, the two separated from each other.

"Was that… okay…?" she asked shyly.

Cilan had a million different words to describe it. But since he knew his speeches confused the girl and he did not have the strength to speak all of it, he replied simply with, "It was… perfect…" and then smiled.

* * *

Nearby, Ash and Pikachu were getting closer and closer to the campsite. He was soaked in sweat as he had been running ever since he left the Pokémon Center, only taking quick breaks to take some of the energy drink that was given to him.

"We're… almost there…!" he huffed.

"Pika… pika… pika…" his Pokémon said while running.

"Hang on just a bit longer, Cilan…! I'm almost there…!"


	4. Chapter 4

Finally finished this. Sorry for the long wait. I had a hard time writing out how it would end. Hope it's okay. I'm estimating the the time frame of this story takes place between BW032 and BW035, just so you know.

Enjoy

* * *

At this point in time, Cilan was at the tail-end of a losing battle against the Venipede venom that ravaged through his body. He struggled to keep himself conscious. Everything was in a fog. The Connoisseur could sometimes hear the voices of his Pokémon and the dragon tamer.

_"Pansage…! Sage…!"_

_ "Please… Stay awake…!"_

Iris patted the sides of Cilan's face to keep him awake. But it was rapidly losing its effect. The Connoisseur's eyes appeared dull and listless.

"This isn't good…" Iris said to herself.

Suddenly, Iris heard a voice out in the distance.

"Iris…!" shouted the familiar voice. Iris turned her head up in response. "IRIS…! CILAN…!"

"Pi-ka-chu…!"

Eventually, she saw Ash and Pikachu coming out of the woods.

"Ash!" she said with a smile. She didn't think she was ever this happy to see him. "Cilan, he's here! Ash is here! You're going to be all right!"

Ash made a bee-line towards Iris and Cilan until he finally reached them. He and Pikachu both collapses next to them in exhaustion.

"I got it…" Ash said in between his breaths. "I got the anti…" He paused when he noticed the condition his friend was in. He looked much worse than when he last saw him and appeared to be on the brink of death.

"Hurry Ash," Iris said desperately. "Give it to him."

"Right."

Ash pulled the plastic bag from his backpack and set its contents in a neat line. His eyes turned to the directions which also came with pictures. First he had to uncap the antivenin and remove the protective plastic on the needle. The instructions said he had to extract the antivenin from the bottle with the needle.

After Ash finished preparing the needle, he read the final directions. He needed to search for a vein in Cilan's wrist near the afflicted area to inject the antivenin in.

"Iris, can you move that blanket so I can see his arm?"

"Sure."

Iris flipped the blanket off of the top portion of Cilan's body, exposing his left arm. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw next. His hand had nearly doubled in size and was nearly purple in color. The skin was also starting to burst open in reaction to the swelling. The sight was truly grotesque and caused Iris and Ash to gasp in shock. Still, Ash grabbed his arm and turned it so his wrist was facing upward.

Ash looked at the directions once more and took in a deep breath. Cilan's life was in his hands. He would never forgive himself if he screwed this up. There was no room for error. Carefully, Ash held the needle slanted pointing in the direction of Cilan's hand. Slowly, he inched the needle closer and closer until it was finally under the Connoisseur's skin. The boy put his thumb on the plunger of the syringe and began to slowly inject the antivenin in his friend.

The antivenin began its work immediately and Cilan regained some feeling in his arm. While that was a good sign, it also brought on an unbearable pain as the poison and the antivenin clashed. This caused the Connoisseur to let out a blood-curdling scream, startling Iris and Ash. He also jerked his arm but Ash managed to hold on and kept the needle in place.

"Cilan, relax," Iris said and then stroked his head lovingly. "That's the antidote doing its job."

Her words did little to help. Cilan began to thrash about while the antivenin spread through his arm. Iris had laid her arm across his chest so that he couldn't jerk forward. She could feel his heart racing through his shirt. Ash had a tight grip on his wrist to make sure he wouldn't move it. Pansage, Axew, and Pikachu also helped by holding down the Connoisseur's legs.

Pain overwhelmed the young man and he let out screams in between his shuttering breaths. He was convinced he was going to die and struggled to get away from his friends who were holding him down. Cilan then hid his face in Iris' lap like a frightened child.

The dragon tamer almost cried again seeing how much distress the Connoisseur was in. She made her attempts to sooth him through words and touch.

"I know it hurts… But please calm down. I'm right here with you. You're going to get better."

Cilan began to calm after Iris started to run her fingers gently through his hair.

"That's it…" she said in almost a whisper. "Shhhh… Just relax… It's almost over…"

Cilan screams eventually dwindled down to soft moans. Ash was able to deliver all of the antivenin and then gently pulled the needle from his wrist. He let out a sigh of relief that it was finally over and wiped his forehead with his arm.

"Good job, Cilan," Iris said with a smile. "I knew you could do it. You just rest now, okay?"

The Connoisseur tried to do just that. But the pain he was experiencing was preventing him from doing so.

"Ash, you were amazing," Iris said in a rare compliment. "I can't believe how calm and cool you were."

"Wasn't easy… Cilan's screams got to me. I don't think I've ever heard anyone scream like that…"

Seeing Cilan convulse from the antivenin was too much for him to take. The boy put his hands on his face trying to hide his oncoming tears.

"It's okay…" Iris said and then reached to put a hand on his arm. "He's going to get better now and it's all thanks to you."

"I don't know… He looks kinda bad… If only I got here sooner…"

"Well yeah… You could have been a little faster…" Iris said, unable to hold in her criticism.

Ash then let out a moan.

"B-b-but the point is you got here. That's all we can ask for. Now… calm down and dry your tears. Now's not the time to feel sorry for yourself."

"I know… But I wasn't crying…" he denied.

"What ever…"

"Say… Why is Cilan in your lap like that?"

The dragon tamer's face turned red as a response to the question.

"He… um… said it was comforting. I just wanted to help…"

"But wouldn't a pillow have worked better?"

"Umm…"

"And the way you were talking to him earlier… seemed unlike you…"

"Well… you see… Wait a minute! Why should I have to explain anything to you! You're just a kid after all and you wouldn't understand it anyway!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry…"

"Pika…pika…" Pikachu shrugged.

"Axe yew yew…" Axew also shrugged.

Pansage, however, moved in a bit closer to check on his Trainer who was still shuddering violently. Gently, he placed his hand on Cilan's arm.

"Pansage…" he sighed.

"He'll be okay, Pansage," Iris told the Pokémon. "Don't worry."

Iris could feel her legs tingling as they had fallen asleep for being in such a position for so long. Ash retrieved a pillow for Cilan's head to rest on after she pulled her legs away.

All that was left for the young Trainers to do was wait… Wait to see if their friend's condition would improve or not.

* * *

It was nearing dusk. Ash had started a small campfire while Iris cut up some fruit. The dragon tamer's eyes kept turning back to the Connoisseur who was still resting with his Pokémon watching over him.

To everyone's relief, the antivenin appeared to be doing its job. Cilan's color gradually returned to normal and his breathing improved greatly. The swelling in his hand had also gone down by a lot.

Pansage checked on Cilan's temperature frequently to detect changes. Luckily it seemed that his fever was dropping while the rest of his body started to warm up a bit. The sweats and the shivering were also at a near stop.

Noticing how tired the Pokémon looked, Iris thought it would be best for him to eat. She brought over a plate of freshly cut fruit over to the grass monkey.

"Here Pansage," she said. "You should eat something."

Pansage looked at her but then frowned and looked back at his Trainer.

"I know you're worried about Cilan. I am too. But he seems to be doing better. You seem a bit tired and I think eating would help keep your strength up."

Axew then walked up and handed a piece of cut fruit to Pansage.

"Axew!" he said.

Pansage managed to smile at the younger Pokémon and accepted the fruit from him. Cilan had always taught him that it was rude not to accept a gift. Especially if it was food. Iris smiled at the two Pokémon momentarily and then went back to the table.

Hearing the sound of the crackling fire, Cilan slowly started to wake. He squirmed a bit underneath his blanket, grabbing the attention of Pansage and Axew. The grass monkey moved closer to his Trainer's face just in time to see his eyes begin to open.

"Sage…?" he asked gently.

Cilan opened his eyes, which seemed to have regained their iridescent green, a little wider in response to his Pokémon's voice and turned his head over to him.

"Pansage…" the Connoisseur said weakly. He then gained a small smile on his face. "My vintage…"

Pansage's eyes began to well with tears of joy. He gently placed his hands on Cilan's shoulders and began to rub his face against his.

"Axew, axew ew!" Axew cried happily and started jumping up and down.

Both Iris and Ash turned in the direction of Axew's voice. That's when they noticed that their friend was awake and even moving a little. The two Trainers and Pikachu immediately rushed over to check on him. The dragon tamer knelt down beside the Connoisseur.

"Cilan! You're finally up," said Ash.

"How are you feeling?" Iris asked.

Cilan and his Pokémon separated so that he may answer.

"A lot better actually…" he replied with a smile.

"That's great to hear," Ash said with relief.

"Pika…" said his Pikachu.

Iris then laid her hand against Cilan's forehead. As she did, Ash also knelt beside the Connoisseur.

"Your fever has gone down a lot," she said and then smiled. "Are you still in pain?"

"Somewhat… But not nearly as much as I was."

The dragon tamer pulled down the Connoisseur's blanket a bit to check on his injured hand. It would be the first time he saw his hand's condition since it first started to swell up. Cilan was mortified of the condition it was in. It was covered in painful-looking blisters that were oozing puss.

"My hand…"

"It's okay," the dragon tamer said. "It actually looks much better than it did before."

"You mean… it was worse than this?"

"Yeah…" Ash started to say. "It was all purple and bloody and…"

He paused when he noticed Iris glaring at him. It was a look that said "Shut-up you stupid little kid."

"Never mind…"

"Personally, I think you are going to heal nicely with minimal scarring."

"Okay…" said Cilan. "If you say so."

"You gave us quite a scare," Ash said. "We were so worried."

"Pansage, pan," agreed Pansage.

"But thanks to all of you… I think I'm going to be okay…" The Connoisseur smiled and then said, "Ash… Iris… I am eternally in your debt. Thank you… so much."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Ash said and smiled back. "I'm sure you would've done the same for us."

"And your strong will was also a factor," Iris added. "Not many could withstand a Venipede bite for that long with no antivenin."

The Connoisseur looked to his Pokémon and then to the dragon tamer all while smiling fondly.

"Well… I did have those who cared about me with me to help me through it…"

Iris managed to smile a bit as well and combed some of her hair out of her face innocently. It made her look all the more adorable to Cilan and he held his hand to his mouth to quiet a chuckle.

Both gazed at each other lovingly for a moment. Ash scratched the back of his head; confused to why they were staring at each other. His nose then caught the smell of smoke as the fire consumed the last bit of wood and burned itself out.

"Huh… Looks like the fire went out. I better get some more wood. Be right back you guys."

Both of his friends nodded their heads. Ash motioned his arm for Pikachu to come with him and the mouse jumped on his shoulder. He was out of sight soon and the two were alone once again. There was a long and awkward silence between them. Pansage and Axew looked at each other wondering what was going to happen.

"So…" the dragon tamer started to say. "Do you remember… what happened between us?" She turned her head away to hide the crimson hue on her face.

Iris was torn inside. There was a part of her that did not want Cilan to remember what she did. But the other part of her would feel sad if he didn't.

The Connoisseur smiled lightly and replied, "Yeah… I remember." His hand made its way on top of hers, causing her to shiver fitfully. "I'm sorry if I forced you into anything…"

"No… You didn't." The dragon tamer then smiled innocently and looked back at him. "I… Like what we did, in fact. It felt right, you know?"

Cilan responded by nodding his head and said, "I know all right. It felt like when the perfect wine is matched with the perfect delicacy."

Iris twitched her eyebrows a bit. Cilan could tell she was getting annoyed so I quickly rephrased his comment.

"I-I mean, it was really neat."

"I would like to do it again sometime. But… I'd like to take things a bit slower. Just for now… Uh, oh I probably sound like a dweeb right now…" she said and turned her head away again.

The dragon tamer felt her hand being lifted from the ground.

"I assure you that you do not," the Connoisseur said in a gentle voice. "This was a bit rushed so I understand that you want this to go slowly. And that's okay. I will wait as long as I have to for you to become my vintage…"

Iris smiled after hearing that. She did not know much about the Connoisseur vocabulary. But she did know that a "vintage" was someone who was very special to a person.

"I already am…"

Cilan brought her hand to his mouth and he planted a light kiss on top of it. This caused the dragon tamer's face to turn bright red.

Also… she felt her stomach growl.

"All of this is making me hungry…" she laughed.

Axew wandered back to the table and brought over some more fruit for all of them to enjoy.

"Axew!" he said cheerfully while pushing the plate of fruit towards them.

"Good idea, Axew," the dragon tamer complimented. "Are you feeling good enough to eat a little, Cilan?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since I've eaten anything," he said while reaching for a piece of fruit.

"Hold on. There might still be some poison left in your body. You shouldn't be moving just yet."

The dragon tamer then picked up a piece of fruit and held it up to the Connoisseur's mouth. She also had a playful expression on her face.

"Open wide…"

"Interesting taste. I think I'm going to enjoy this…"

He closed his eyes and took the fruit from her hand with his mouth. The he chewed on it slowly while smiling before swallowing.

"Delicious… May I have another?"

"Coming right up!"

The two shared their light dinner together with their Pokémon until it was gone. Ash was a bit miffed that there was none left for him. They laughed and apologized and Iris agreed to get more fruit.

Something beautiful had been born from Cilan's near death experience. And he was going to make sure that he took care of it and the girl who meant so much to him.

Iris also found a new side to herself that she didn't know she had. She never thought she would have the strength to act out on her romantic feelings. But the adrenalin rush given from the critical situation pushed her to go through with them. And she glad she did.

Though it had an unusual start, this was only the beginning of their flowering relationship. And both hoped… no… they knew it would grow and mature as they did. They had faced a great challenge that day and made it. If they could get through that, they could get through anything.

* * *

Author's note: Thank you for reading. I wanted to point out that Iris getting hungry because of what Cilan was saying is a relation to BW032. Iris gets hungry when romance is spoken about :) Once again, thanks for reading.


End file.
